Team GB & the Potential Ramifications

You mean there are still Welsh players out there who haven't already retired that we can ban...?

I find it all a nonsense in truth, does anyone really care? For the record, it matters not one jot to me whether they play for GB in the Olympics, Wales after it, or Wales now to be honest. If the likes of Bale & Ramsey had any sense, they would prioritise playing for their clubs above any internationals anyway. Personally, I have found international football a complete irrelevance for many years and more pertinently so do a growing number of top end internationals themselves who prioritise extending their club careers rather than representing their country. Our "patriotic" new leader did so to take in a bit-part role in the glory years of mid-table mediocrity in the Championship with Sheffield United before his eyecatching managerial promise bedazzled those young pups at the FAW... Shearer & Scholes are two English legends who eventually found representing their country an inconvenience, hence retired at their prime, with many more, especially more peripheral members of squads, throughout the world who have done the same. We here in Wales have seen it even more thanks to the doddering I am not Mr Toshack (of course not my little prosauropods...) to the extent it is easier to remember those that are actually available rather than those who have "retired."

I harbour no feelings towards our national team whatsoever, but I understand their stance in that they fear marginalisation or even oblivion should they embrace this Team GB concept. Wales & the FAW are proud of their independence & history in never actually qualifying for a major tournament (1958 was by default if we're completely honest), but while I say that tongue in cheek, it is their, our, history and independence to mock or be proud of as we see fit. What history, proud or otherwise, does England or Britain have of football participation at the Olympics? What history or proud allegiance is it that the FAW appears to be besmirching, especially rich coming from Cardiff City fans who have an undoubted majority who purport to hate their English counterparts, yet seemingly now yearn to jump into bed with them? There are also many Englishmen too who feel Cardiff City should not be in the English leagues either and/ or also have a general hatred of Wales or anything non-English. I would like to think that there are many, many more on both sides who do not have such mindless prejudices and xenophobic tendancies, but that doesn't take away that, alas, there are many on both sides that do. When it comes to football, though perhaps a lot more than just fotball in truth, most of Britain & Wales especially is very parochial, insular and narrow-minded. Hypocritical in the extreme on both sides of the fence I would suggest. To my mind, it's all a load of knee jerk hullaballo because this time the Olympics are in London. I don't see the point of all this fuss for what will be one guest appearance, however I could if this was to become a lasting legacy a la the Lions in the rugby world which has an incredibly proud history & tradition & actually feeds off the diversity of the contributions of all Home Nations. Football & rugby are at opposite ends of the spectrum on many fronts, however, with the fans of each often at polar opposites.

As previously stated, I speak from a position of caring not a jot either way, but would those criticising the FAW's stance, whether they be English, Scottish, Irish or Welsh, accept what could happen as a result of Team GB, namely every one of the aforementioned countries losing it's independence? Would we as Welshmen be happy to see what would normally be at best one player in the team and quite probably the squad? Would England as the far superior and dominant nation be happy to see their identity diluted as a result of a possible unification of the Home Nations? Would everyone be happy to see English players dominate every team and squad, or would everyone be happy to see far lesser players selected due to the politics of passifying a particular country? Natural cycles would dictate that occassionally England would not necessarily have the best pool of players all the time & the hugely dominant country would have to play a more marginal role, something I'm not sure the people and most certainly the London obsessed Press would be able to digest. Would England be happy to champion their star player from Glasgow for example and place their hands on the latest edition of the Sun to heal his broken metatarsal before all hope is lost? If so, then you are right to support Team GB and the whole concept, if not, then be careful what you wish for because whatever your country you could lose your identity as a result of Team GB

a bit longwinded but the last sentence hits it on the head.

Lol, if you haven't come across me before, I do go on a bit Spike...

My personal stance is with the FAW.

Also, If we had a UK team - the police would have a nightmare with Wales, Scotland, England and Ireland in the same stands. How would the bubble trips then work?

Lol, if you haven't come across me before, I do go on a bit Spike...

No problem Salad you say it as it is, I would hate for you to leave out some of the detail LOL
Spike